Two days ahead of the scheduled swearing-in of the new Israeli government, the Knesset passed legislation laying the basis for two important ministerial appointments.

At the same time, there are initial legal conflicts over personal details in the coalition formed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Christian Meier

Political correspondent for the Middle East and Northeast Africa.

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The law clears the way for Aryeh Deri to join the cabinet.

The chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party is to become interior and health minister and take over the post of finance minister after two years.

Deri was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence in February for tax evasion.

In an agreement with the prosecution, he had recently resigned as a member of the Knesset and assured that he no longer aspired to high political office.

In return, the court refrained from certifying him "moral depravity" - this would have resulted in a seven-year political ban.

Now Aryeh Deri is one of the most important coalition partners of Netanyahu and his Likud party.

The law weakens the provisions on ministerial appointments so that it is no longer necessary to determine whether Deri's suspended sentence constitutes "moral depravity".

Not only the future opposition sharply criticized the law.

Legal advisers to the Knesset and Advocate General Gali Baharav-Miara had also expressed concerns because the bill was clearly tailored to Deri.

Petition to the Supreme Court

The "Movement for Quality Government in Israel" immediately submitted a petition to the Supreme Court.

The organization justified the law by saying that the law damages the Israeli system of government because it lowers ethical standards for eligibility for ministerial posts, based on personal considerations and coalition needs.

In response to these and other petitions, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Netanyahu, Deri and the Advocate General to comment on why the law is necessary and why it must come into force immediately.

At the same time, the court announced that nothing stood in the way of Deri's temporary appointment.

A hearing has been scheduled for next week.

The law also allows Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, to become an additional minister within the Likud-led Defense Ministry.

There he is to be given responsibility for the civil administration in the occupied West Bank and would thus also have control over the construction of settlements.

In view of the ideological orientation of the settler representative Smotrich, this plan has drawn a lot of criticism.

Before the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, the new coalition wants to pass another law.

This is intended to give Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Strength party and future Minister of National Security, increased powers over policing.

A petition has also been filed against the appointment of Ben-Gvir, who has a criminal record.